Albufeira, Algarve
Praia do Castelo
A small cove with a headland, and a car park that fills by mid-morning
Written by Tiago, who grew up in Albufeira and drives a tuk tuk down to this cove most days.
Castelo is a short arc of sand tucked under a headland, with rocks at both ends and calm, clear water in the middle. It is quieter than São Rafael for one reason: fewer people can park.
There is a footpath along the clifftop from here towards Arrifes, which is worth doing for the view down into the coves even if you only walk five minutes of it.
- Parking
- A small free car park on the cliff, about fifty metres from the beach entrance, off the M526. It is a handful of spaces and in summer it is gone by mid-morning — which is exactly why the beach stays quiet.
- Getting down to the sand
- A wooden staircase down from the car park to the sand.
- What's there
- A restaurant on the cliff above (O Pic-Nic), toilets, showers, sunbeds to hire, and lifeguards in summer. Blue Flag.
- Swimming
- Calm and clear in the middle, rocks at both ends — which makes it one of the better coves here for snorkelling, and a reason to bring something on your feet. Lifeguarded in summer.
- Shade
- The headland shades the eastern end from mid-afternoon, and that is the only shade on the beach that costs nothing. Sunbeds with parasols to hire otherwise, and not many of them.
- With children
- A wooden staircase down, so a buggy has to be carried. Once you are on the sand it is a short arc with the sea in front and cliffs on three sides — there is nowhere for anyone to wander off to, which is why parents like it.
- Without a car
- Route 75, operated by Vamus from Albufeira bus station, stops here — but only about six times a day, so check the return before you commit to it.
- When to go
- Early morning if you are driving yourself, for the parking. Otherwise late afternoon, when the headland throws shade across the eastern end.
- How long to stay
- Two or three hours is the natural visit. It is small, there is one restaurant, and most people pair it with Arrifes a few minutes along the coast rather than staying all day.
Going with Tiago
Getting here is the hard part.
A stop on The Secret Beaches, and the one people remember. It's why this is a tour and not a set of directions. 3 hours in a tuk tuk, your group only, picked up at your hotel door and dropped back after — this cove and the ones either side of it, without circling a dirt car park that filled up at ten in the morning.
Two adults and two children is €195 — for a private vehicle and a driver for the whole run, every cove on this stretch of coast, the lift there and back, and the photographs.
- Private. Your group only, up to 4 of you in the tuk tuk, never shared with strangers.
- Picked up at your hotel door and dropped back after — no car park to find, no bus to miss, and no taxi to call from a beach with no signal.
- The photographs are included. 15 to 20 of them, on your WhatsApp the same evening, and nothing to sign up to on the day.
And nothing to risk on it if I'm more than fifteen minutes late and haven't messaged you, the tour is free, if the weather's against us I move you to a better day, as many times as you like while you're here, and I never cut a tour short to get back for the next one.
10% off, today
There's a code that takes 10% off.
Leave me your email and it's on screen straight away — ten per cent off, so that family of four comes to €175.50. The week plan comes with it: seven days in Albufeira without a hire car, and which beaches you genuinely can't walk to.
Code applies to The Secret Beaches and The Other Algarve. One per booking.